by Discover the armies of the United States for Bolt Action. This comprehensive guide presents the theaters of operations of the Second World War. It is illustrated with photos for your historical troops and vehicles.
Operation Husky
Two days at sea since North Africa; Ed was vomiting in the hold of his boat. The swell was too severe this morning; the smell of diesel, the swaying of the landing craft, and the stress had gotten the better of his stomach. Suddenly, a dull thud, explosions all around him. Seawater splashed over the sides. Italian or German artillery was trying to zero in on them. A target too slow in the water. The soldiers in his squad all looked at one another; death was lurking once again.
Boats slowed, and a unit sergeant yelled: “Come on guys, we’re landing in one minute!” Coast-based machine gun fire whistled over his head
The bow opened onto a long beach of fine sand. Ed thought the beach looked like his native California… He threw himself into the water with all his gear, just like all his comrades. He quickly spotted a machine gun nest at the top of the beach. It was camouflaged with vegetation and a few sandbags. The MG42 was raining hell upon them. Mike, their marksman, stepped out onto the wet sand, got into position, took aim—one shot, one kill!
The machine gun went silent. He pressed forward with the others to neutralize it once and for all with fragmentation grenades.
The landing seemed easy for now. Their objective: an airfield a few kilometers inland. He and his 160,000 men were going to liberate Sicily.
The armies of United States
Armies of the United States consists of several parts. An introduction presents the various theaters of operations of the American army during the Second World War. Illustrations and several photos provide ideas on how to paint your troops and vehicles.
The historical section provides elements for selecting the types of troops you wish to play and the possible theaters of operations. This section is very useful for beginning to imagine the types of troops you want to collect. Each period of the war or theater allows you to give a specific direction to your future investments in this army.
A presentation of the specific army rules for this nation. The list of infantry, artillery, and vehicles available for Bolt Action fills the majority of the rest of the book.
At the end of it, a few examples of competitive army lists for the nation. A period-by-period summary of available units. This section will undoubtedly interest historical reenactment enthusiasts and narrative scenario creators.
Special Rules for the armies of the United States
To represent the technological advancement of the United States Army, the authors of Bolt Action focused on various advantages. In the United States army book, we find several elements already present in the Bolt Action core rulebook, but also some welcome new additions.
Fire and Manoeuvre
For every 3 soldiers in a unit firing rifles, you may add one additional shooting die. This increase in firepower illustrates the army’s efficient logistics, which allows soldiers to increase their unit’s volume of fire.
Air Superiority
Forward observers can call for air strikes twice during the game instead of once. This represents the United States’ air superiority on the front and the inter-service coordination present in this nation.
Modern Communications
Units in reserve can enter the battlefield without suffering the -1 order test penalty applied to all other armies. The idea is to represent modern communications between headquarters and the front through the quality of their radios.
By Air, Land, and Sea
This collection of advantages is intended for veteran units, paratroopers, the Marine Corps, or Rangers. For 1 point per man, a squad can acquire the Stubborn special rule. This allows them to ignore the number of pin markers when taking a morale test, though not for an order test.
Rangers lead the way !
For the Rangers, it is different: for one point, they can take the special rule “Rangers lead the way!”. This allows them, during deployment, to add a free Run move in addition to their normal movement. However, they cannot assault an enemy squad. Units in Ambush cannot target them. This order offers an interesting infiltration capability into the combat zone. This specific rule allows, for example, for moving closer to strategic points. Setting up forward support from the very first turn is also a possible option.
Gyrostabilizers for tanks
US tanks benefit, for veteran crews, from the use of gyrostabilization for their main gun. This allows them to fire with a +1 bonus while moving. Instead of hitting on a 5+ for a standard shot, they hit on a 4+ with an Advance order.
This bonus applies only to the main gun fire and not to the machine gun fire aboard the tanks.
Bulldozer Blade
American tanks can be equipped with bulldozer blades for 5 points. This allows them to literally punch holes through hedges and “construct” paths for infantry and vehicles to pass through. This is particularly useful on maps cluttered with vegetation, such as the Normandy bocage or the jungles of the Pacific islands.
The Shotgun
A specific weapon for the Americans, historically used primarily by the Marines in the Pacific. With an 18-inch range and a single shot, it features the Assault special rule, giving your squads equipped with such shotguns significant punch at close range. This makes for effective assault troops for clearing trenches or the rooms of a building.
Troops
Several classic Bolt Action squads are available, which are very generic squads within Bolt Action.
However, there are a few less common options that might interest you. Notably, the Armoured Infantry Mortar Squad. Composed of an NCO and 3 men equipped with rifles. You can add a bazooka team to your platoon in addition to the one originally planned. This allows you to multiply the anti-tank teams within a single platoon. Additionally, among the 3 base men, there is also a light mortar and its loader. This makes for a very effective support and anti-tank platoon.
In the same vein, the Armoured Infantry Rifle Squad allows you to add a bazooka team to your rifle platoon. This is in addition to the classic Bolt Action limit.
You can therefore imagine rifle or reconnaissance platoons with several bazooka teams. This provides a clear direction toward very effective anti-tank platoons.
USMC Raider Squad
The ultimate veterans are found within the USMC. This squad is made up entirely of veterans, accustomed to actions behind enemy lines and guerrilla techniques. This is reflected in their special rules:
- Stubborn
- Tough Fighters
- Tank Hunters
They will be difficult to kill, hard to demoralize, and above all, they represent a real danger to your tanks. This type of unit is a perfect excuse for kitbashing and opens up plenty of ideas for narrative scenarios. This is what I appreciate about infantry army lists: they spark the imagination and make you think, “Hey, I want to create one or more scenarios specifically to exploit this unit’s potential.”
Vehicles
When looking at the vehicles, those available at the start of the war are very few in number. You have to wait until the mid and late war to see the options for vehicles, troops, and artillery multiply. Players wishing to stage scenarios on the Chinese front at the beginning of the war will therefore be naturally limited in the equipment available.
The Different Shermans
If you like the Sherman chassis, you’re in for a treat: every version is available, except for the “Ice Cream Truck” version… sorry, I slipped into a Gaslands article there.
The available Shermans offer several types of equipment:
- Tank Hunters
- Infantry Support with howitzers
- The “Jumbo” version: the definitive assault Sherman with a +10 armor value.
Then there is the poetic and formidable Sherman T-34 Calliope with its rocket launcher rack, and the Sherman Zippo equipped with flamethrowers!
Finally, the Sherman Crocodile: slow, equipped with a medium anti-tank gun but featuring an improved HE (High Explosive) shell, deployed in the Pacific to “clear” the forest.
What about the DD Sherman, capable of floating and used during the Normandy landings? It’s a brilliant idea—provided there are no heavy swells!
And the star of the Shermans, in my opinion (one I’d love to drive someday): the Sherman Dozer. It is the subtle alliance of an assault tank and a bulldozer! It’s the toy every child dreams of having to literally level the battlefield.
While all these Shermans can fulfill numerous tactical and strategic needs, there are other alternatives available.
The M26 Pershing
This was the American answer to the German Tiger I, arriving at the very end of the war. However, it was also seen at Okinawa. With its super-heavy anti-tank gun and +10 armor, the Pershing is a resilient tank. As a Veteran unit—clocking in at 390 points—it benefits from the Gyrostabilizer special rule, hitting on a 4+ with an Advance order. Plenty to keep your opponents on edge.
To me, the base Pershing also fits perfectly into a Konflikt ’47 company. It would undoubtedly be formidable for destroying Axis combat walkers or Soviet and Japanese mechanized horrors. If you’re considering starting Konflikt ’47 with US troops, this choice is a no-brainer for both games.
Light Tanks and Tank Destroyers
The M18 Hellcat
If you are a fan of light tank hunters for a very reasonable point budget (150 points), the M18 Hellcat is for you. It carries a heavy anti-tank gun and, while its armor is only 7+, it boasts the Fast and Recce rules. This allows it to move 12 inches instead of 9 with an Advance order, and 24 inches instead of 18 with a Run order. It’s enough to make enemy tank commanders break a sweat, especially if you line up two or three of these vehicles.
M36 Jackson
The M36 Jackson offers a light platform with 8+ armor but carries a super-heavy anti-tank gun for a 200-point budget. It is more than capable of taking down a Tiger I or II for a very modest investment.
The M36B1 version, however, feels a bit too expensive for my taste. Despite its reinforced 9+ armor, it retains the Open-Topped special rule, which ultimately negates the advantage of the extra protection in most cases.
The LVT4 “Water Buffalo”
Looking to transport 30 men and all their gear onto a beach? Or perhaps a Jeep and some light or medium artillery?
The LVT4 “Water Buffalo” is made for you. Equipped with two MMGs for anti-personnel defense, you can add two more MMGs and an additional front-mounted one. This provides mobile support and heavy suppressive fire for the troops disembarking from the vehicle. Its only real drawback is the 7+ armor, which won’t last long against anti-tank artillery or bazooka teams.
Available for the Pacific theater, this is the ideal vehicle for any amphibious landing scenarios.
Why Should You Buy the United States Army Book ?
If you intend to invest in this nation’s army, this book is indispensable. The options provided in the core rulebook are far less detailed; the sheer variety of Sherman iterations alone makes this supplement worth the detour.
The illustrations are beautiful and immersive. The sample army lists are insightful and will help you figure out how to optimize your equipment choices. Furthermore, the dual-theater aspect is fascinating. You can essentially build two distinct armies from the same supplement: one for the Pacific with the USMC and Water Buffalos capable of transporting your entire company, or paratrooper units for the Western Front, the Normandy landings, and Operation Market Garden.
Finally, if you plan to play Konflikt ’47, several elements of this supplement will be extremely useful. Specifically, all the Late War sections are directly applicable if you play as the US in Warlord Games’ “weird war” setting.
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Written by :
Maurice, the History keeper & Bolt Action chronicler
I have been passionate about imaginative worlds since childhood, between toy soldiers and role-playing games. In the 90s, I delved into wargames like Squad Leader and Warhammer 40K. Today, I spend my time painting miniatures, working on my own game, and playing Bolt Action, my current favorite wargame.
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